Saturday Afternoon

Zhansaya Daniyarovna Abdumalik – Vincent Keymer

1st Julius Bär Challengers Chess Tour; 2nd stage; Gelfand Challenge; time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess24.com, June 12, 2021

2r1k3/5p1p/p2pbPp1/bp2p1P1/4P2P/P3B3/1nP1BK2/R1R5 w - - 5 38

Position after 37. ... Bd7-e6

Keymer has earlier sacrificed an Exchange on c3 for a Pawn and a Queenside initiative, but his last move allows Abdumalik to escape the box by a very elegant Pawn sacrifice that turns the tables on the situation dramatically: 38. a4! Nxa4. Of course 38. ... bxa4 39. Bxa6 is not appealing either. 39. c4! Bd7 40. cxb5. Even stronger seems 40. h5! further tightening the grip on Black’s position. 40. ... Rxc1 41. Rxa4? This dissipates most if not all of White’s advantage. She should play 41. Rxc1 axb5 42. h5 still with chances for a better outcome. 41. ... Be1+ 42. Kf3 axb5 43. Bxb5 Rc8 44. Bxd7+ Kxd7 45. Ra1 Bb4 46. h5 gxh5 47. Rh1 Rc3 48. Ke2 Bc5

49. Bd2? And here’s a strange way to lose a game. Correct was 49. Bxc5 Rxc5 50. Rxh5 Ke6 51. Rxh7 d5= forcing a drawish Rook ending. 49. ... Rc4 50. Rxh5 Rxe4+ 51. Kf3 Rd4 52. Rxh7. 52. Ke2 Ke6 53. Rxh7 Rg4 transposes to the game. 52. ... Ke6 (52. ... Rxd2 53. Rxf7+ Ke6−+) 53. Ke2 Rg4 54. Rh8 Rg2+ 55. Ke1 d5 56. Re8+ Kf5 57. Rc8 Ba3 58. Rc7 Kg6?! The King stood better on e6 so as to defend the central Pawns. 59. Ra7 Bc5? (59. ... Rg1+ 60. Ke2 Bb2−+)

60. Ra5?? Abdumalik misses her most unexpected drawing chance: 60. Rd7! (60. ... d4 51. Rd5). 60. ... Rxd2!−+ 61. Rxc5 Rd4 62. Rc7 Rg4 63. Rd7 d4 64. Ke2 Rxg5 65. Rd6 Rf5 66. Kd3 Rxf6 67. Rd5 Kf5 0 : 1.